In 1942 eight new light cruisers (CL's) were commissioned, designed to be an improvement to the Brooklyn-Class cruiser. These were to be the new Cleveland-class cruiser. Ultimately 39 ships were projected to be built, however only 27 were actually commissioned. Nine ships of the projected ships were converted to CVL's (small aircraft carriers) while under construction. (These 14,750 ton ships became the Independence class which had all the cruiser armament and superstructures removed, but retained the original cruiser machinery and basic hull.) In addition, three of the anticipated Clevelands were canceled before construction began.
The Cleveland-Class cruiser had twelve 6" / 47 guns in four triple turrets ( 2 forward, 2 aft ) and twelve 5" / 38 guns in twin mounts ( one each on the center line fore and aft and two each on either side of the ship ). As the war proceeded the Navy's planned 1.1" rapid fire AA machine guns were replaced with 20mm and 40mm AA guns. In addition to adding more AA weapons, AA fire control directors were added, and to improve the ability to engage crossing targets, AA guns were mounted on the bow and on the stern.
The Clevelands were mainly used in the Pacific during World War II, but some saw action in Europe and off the coast of Africa. All survived the war and were ultimately decommissioned by 1950, except for Manchester, which remained in service until 1956.
Cleveland Class Cruiser Design Specifications (Typical) |
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Type: | • Light Cruiser |
Displacement: | • 11,800 tons (standard) • 14,131 tons (full) |
Length: | • Waterline 600 ft. (180 m) • Overall 608 ft. 4 in. (185.4 m) |
Beam: | • 63 ft. (20.2 m) |
Height: | • 113 ft. (34.5 m) |
Draft: | • 20 ft. (7.5 m) mean |
Propulsion: | • 4 Babcock & Wilcox, 634 psi boilers • 4 GE geared steam turbines • 4 Screws • 100,000 hp (75 MW) 25,000 hp per shaft |
Speed: | • 32.5 knots |
Complement: | • 70 officers • 1,115 enlisted |
Armament: | • 12 x 6 " / 47 guns (4 triple turrets) • 12 x 5 " / 38 dual-purpose guns (6 dual mounts) • 12 x 40 mm Bofors AA guns • 20 x 20 mm Oerlikon AA guns |
Armor: | • Belt: 3.25 - 5 in. • Deck: 2 in. • Turrets: 1.5 - 6 in. • Barbettes: 6 in. • Conning Tower: 2.25 - 5 in. |
Aircraft: | • 4 (3?) Seaplanes |
Catapults: | • 2 |
Note: Specifications shown above vary somewhat depending on source. It seems that the actual "as-built" configurations vary somewhat from ship to ship.
Original Cleveland-Class Ship Name and Hull Number Designations |
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CL55 thru 67 | CL76 thru 88 | CL89 thru 105 | |||
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USS Cleveland CL55 |
Completed | USS New Haven CL76 |
Reordered as USS Belleau Wood CVL24 |
USS Miami CL89 |
Completed |
USS Columbia CL56 |
Completed |
USS Huntington CL77 |
Reordered as USS Cowpens CVL25 |
USS Astoria CL90 |
Completed |
USS Montpelier CL57 |
Completed |
USS Dayton CL78 |
Reordered as USS Monterey CVL26 |
USS Oklahoma City CL91 |
Refit as guided missile cruiser CLG5 |
USS Denver CL58 |
Completed | USS Wilmington CL79 |
Reordered as USS Cabot CVL28 |
USS Little Rock CL 92 |
Refit as guided missile cruiser CLG 4 |
USS Amsterdam CL59 |
Reordered as USS Independence CVL22 |
USS Biloxi CL80 |
Completed | USS Galveston CL93 |
Laid up. Refit as guided missile cruiser CLG3 |
USS Santa Fe CL60 |
Completed |
USS Houston CL81 |
Completed |
USS Youngstown CL94 |
Canceled |
USS Tallahassee CL61 |
Reordered as USS Princeton CVL23 |
USS Providence CL82 |
Refit as guided missile cruiser CLG6 |
USS Buffalo CL99 |
Reordered as USS Bataan CVL29 |
USS Birmingham CL62 |
Completed | USS Manchester CL83 |
Completed | USS Newark CL100 |
Reordered as USS San Jacinto CVL30 |
USS Mobile CL63 |
Completed | Un-named CL84 |
Canceled | USS Amsterdam CL101 |
Completed |
USS Vincennes CL64 |
Completed | USS Fargo CL85 |
Reordered as USS Langley CVL27 |
USS Portsmouth CL102 |
Completed |
USS Pasadena CL65 |
Completed | USS Vicksburg CL86 |
Completed | USS Wilkes-Barre CL103 |
Completed |
USS Springfield CL66 |
Refit as guided missile cruise CLG7 |
USS Duluth CL87 |
Completed | USS Atlanta CL104 |
Completed |
USS Topeka CL67 |
Refit as guided missile cruiser CLG8 |
Un-named CL88 |
Canceled | USS Dayton CL105 |
Completed |
The 27 Cleveland-Class Cruisers, listed by Original Builder | |||||
Bethlehem (1) | Cramp & Sons (2) | New York Ship (3) | Newport News (4) | ||
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USS Vincennes CL64 | USS Miami CL89 | USS Cleveland CL55 | USS Birmingham CL62 | ||
USS Pasadena CL65 | USS Astoria CL90 | USS Columbia CL56 | USS Mobile CL63 | ||
USS Springfield; CL66 | USS Oklahoma City CL91 | USS Montpelier CL57 | USS Biloxi CL80 | ||
USS Topeka CL67 | USS Little Rock CL 92 | USS Denver CL58 | USS Houston CL81 | ||
USS Providence CL82 | USS Galveston CL93 | USS Santa Fe CL60 | USS Vicksburg CL86 | ||
USS Manchester CL83 | - - - - | USS Wilkes-Barre CL103 | USS Duluth CL87 | ||
- - - - | - - - - | USS Atlanta CL104 | USS Amsterdam CL101 | ||
- - - - | - - - - | USS Dayton CL105 | USS Portsmouth CL102 | ||
(1) Bethlehem Ship Building Corp. - Quincy, MA | |||||
(2) William Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Co. - Philadelphia, PA | |||||
(3) New York Shipbuilding Corp. - Camden, NJ (* See Note 1. below.) | |||||
(4) Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company - Newport News, VA |
Towards the end of World War II serious airborne threats appeared. The Germans deployed guided glider bombs that made it possible for a bomber to attack a ship without coming very close to it. The Japanese Kamikazes showed how much damage a guided missile could do if it hit a ship. It became evident well before 1950 that surface-to-air missiles would be the weapon of choice against such threats.
In the mid-1940's "Project Bumblebee", underway at the Applied Physics Lab (APL), was working to develop a ramjet-powered surface-to-air missile (SAM). The eventual outcome of this project produced the Terrier, Tarter and Talos missiles. Rear Adm. H. G. Bowen who headed the Navy's R & D recognized that new SAM's would require large ships to house the missiles and their guidance radars. Destroyers at that time were too small, and battleships were too large. Cruisers seemed to be the appropriate choice, especially in that there were a large number of them that were no longer needed for traditional cruiser missions.
Ultimately the Boston and Canberra, two Baltimore-class heavy cruisers were converted to CAG 1 and 2 respectively in 1952. Each ship had two Terrier launchers aft, retaining the original 8-inch gun turrets forward.
In addition, six of the retired Cleveland-class light cruisers were reactivated in the mid-50's and converted into missile ships, three as Galveston-class ( CLG-3, CLG 4, and CLG-5 ) and three as Providence-class ( CLG-6, CLG-7, and CLG-8 ). (See following chart.)
Cleveland Class Missile Cruiser Conversions | ||
Converted to Galveston-Class (Terrier Missiles) | ||
Old Hull # | Name | New Hull # |
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CL-93 | Galveston | CLG-3 |
CL 92 | Little Rock (F) | CLG-4 |
CL-91 | Oklahoma City (F) | CLG-5 |
Converted to Providence-Class (Terrier Missiles) | ||
Old Hull # | Name | New Hull # |
CL-82 | Providence (F) | CLG-6 |
CL 66 | Springfield (F) | CLG-7 |
CL-67 | Topeka | CLG-8 |
In the 1950's BuShips sought a conversion candidate for the new larger, ramjet-powered Talos missile. In 1957 three ships were selected for conversion and re-designated as Galveston-class guided missile light cruisers. The first to be converted was Galveston CLG 3, which was recommissioned in 1958. It was followed by two ships with similar conversions except that they had flag facilities. These were Little Rock CLG 4 and Oklahoma City CLG 5.
During the two year refits, on all three ships, the two aft 6-inch turrets and three aft 5-inch mounts were removed and the aft superstructure was completely replaced to make room for the new twin-arm Talos launcher and a 46 missile storage magazine. Three large masts were also installed to hold a variety of new radars, missile guidance, and communications systems. In the two flag conversions, the forward "B" 6-inch turret and two of the forward 5-inch gun mounts were removed; the third 5-inch twin mount was relocated to the vacated "B" turret position, and the superstructure was expanded to provide the flag accommodations.
All three ships served into the 1970's. In the 1975 cruiser realignment, Little Rock and Oklahoma City were reclassified as Guided Missile Cruisers (new designation of "CG"). Two of the ships were stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in 1973 and 1979 (Galveston and Oklahoma City respectively), with the Little Rock being preserved as a museum.
Galveston-Class Cruiser Design Specifications | |||||
Ship(s): | Galveston | Little Rock | Oklahoma City | ||
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Type: | • Guided Missile Cruiser, Light | • Guided Missile Cruiser, Light | • Guided Missile Cruiser, Light | ||
Displacement: | • 14,131 tons (full) | • 15,205 tons (full) | • 15,205 tons (full) | ||
Length: | • Overall 608 ft. 4 in. (185.4 m) • Waterline 600 ft. (180 m) |
• Overall: 610 ft (185.9 m) | • Overall: 610 ft (185.9 m) | ||
Beam: | • 63 ft. (20.2 m) | • 66 ft (20.1 m) | • 66 ft (20.1 m) | ||
Height: | • 113 ft. (34.5 m) | • Data is not available | • Data is not available | ||
Draft: | • 20 ft. mean (7.5 m) | • 25 ft (7.6 m) | • 25 ft (7.6 m) | ||
Propulsion: | • 4 Babcock & Wilcox, 634 psi boilers • 4 GE geared steam turbines • 4 Screws • 100,000 hp (75 MW) |
• 4 Babcock & Wilcox, 634 psi boilers • 4 GE geared steam turbines • 4 Screws • 100,000 hp (75 MW) |
• 4 Babcock & Wilcox, 634 psi boilers • 4 GE geared steam turbines • 4 Screws • 100,000 hp (75 MW) |
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Speed: | • 32.5 knots (60 km/h) | • 32.5 knots (60 km/h) | • 32.5 knots (60 km/h) | ||
Complement: | • 1,185 officers and enlisted | • 1,395 officers and enlisted | • 1,395 officers and enlisted | ||
Armament: | • 6 x 6" / 47 guns (2 triple turrets) • 6 x 5" / 38 guns (3 dual mounts) • 1 twin-rail Talos launcher |
• 3 x 6" / 47 guns (1 triple turret) • 2 x 5" / 38 guns (1 dual mount) • 1 twin-rail Talos launcher |
• 3 x 6" / 47 guns (1 triple turret) • 2 x 5" / 38 guns (1 dual mount) • 1 twin-rail Talos launcher |
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Armor: | • Belt: 3.25 - 5 in. • Deck: 2 in. • Turrets: 1.5 - 6 in. • Barbettes: 6 in. • Missile Magazine: 1.5 in |
• Belt: 3.25 - 5 in. • Deck: 2 in. • Turrets: 1.5 - 6 in. • Barbettes: 6 in. • Missile Magazine: 1.5 in |
• Belt: 3.25 - 5 in. • Deck: 2 in. • Turrets: 1.5 - 6 in. • Barbettes: 6 in. • Missile Magazine: 1.5 in |
Galveston-Class Cruisers - Significant Dates | |||||
Event | USS Galveston CL 93 / CLG 3 |
USS Little Rock CL 92/ CLG 4 / CG 4 |
USS Oklahoma City CL 91 / CLG 5 / CG 5 |
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Original Builder | Cramp | Cramp | Cramp | ||
Laid Down | 27 Aug 43 | 06 Mar 43 | 08 Dec 42 | ||
Launched | 22 Apr 45 | 27 Aug 44 | 20 Feb 44 | ||
Suspended | 24 Jun 46 | N/A | N/A | ||
Commissioned | N/A | 17 Jun 45 | 22 Dec 44 | ||
Decommissioned | N/A | 24 Jun 49 | 30 Jun 47 | ||
Designation Changed |
04 Feb 56 | 23 May 57 | 23 May 57 | ||
Conversion Started |
15 Aug 56 | 30 Jan 57 | 21 May 57 | ||
Converted at | Philadelphia NSY | New York Shipbuilding | Hunters Point, San Francisco | ||
Recommissioned | 28 May 58 | 03 Jun 60 | 07 Sep 60 | ||
Conversion Completed |
30 Jun 58 | 05 Jun 60 | 31 Aug 60 | ||
Designation Changed |
N/A | 30 Jun 75 | 30 Jun 75 | ||
Decommissioned | 25 May 70 | 22 Nov 76 | 15 Dec 79 | ||
Stricken | 21 Dec 73 |
22 Nov 76 | 15 Dec79 | ||
Fate | Soldto and scrapped by National Metal and Steel Corporation. | Preserved as a museum at Bufflo & Erie County Naval Park, Buffalo, NY. |
Sunk as a target during Operation "Tandem Thrust" in the Western Pacific Ocean. |